1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a doffing method and an automated paper tube supply system which can supply paper tubes of desired kinds to an automatic winder having a number of winding units juxaposed or an automatic winder divided into spans of two kinds or more.
2. Prior Art
First, a conventional paper tube supply system in an automatic winder will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Reference numeral 1 designates a frame for an automatic winder; 2 winding units installed in parallel on the frame 1; 3 a paper tube box; 4 a discharge conveyor installed along the back surface of the automatic winder; 5 a rail installed above the automatic winder; and 6 a doffing device which can travel along the automatic winder on the rail 5. This doffing device carries out a series of the following operations. When a specific winding unit 2 terminates to wind a package P, unwinding stops and a lamp 11 is lit. The doffing device 6 detects lighting of the lamp 11 and stops before a spindle thereof. Then, a yarn Y is picked up. Subsequently, a cutter cuts the yarn Y and holds a lower yarn. Next, a cradle arm 10 is opened to discharge the package P onto the discharge conveyor 4. Then, a paper tube 13 is gripped from the box 3 to carry it to the cradle arm 10. The yarn Y is sandwiched between a paper tube and the cradle arm 10, and the sandwiched yarn Y is moved to a bunch winding position to effect the bunch winding. A button 12 is depressed to start the winding unit 2.
As described above, a conventional paper tube supply is carried out every spindle, and a paper tube supply to the box is carried out by an operator. In the case where there are two or more kinds, an operator replenishes paper tubes to the box 3 while sorting the various kinds of paper tubes.
In the aforementioned conventional paper tube supply system, there is a limitation of the number of paper tubes 13 which can be accommodated in the paper tube box 3 of each spindle (about four paper tubes). Therefore, it is necessary to always monitor the state of the paper tube box 3 to replenish paper tubes corresponding to the kinds to the paper tube box, giving rise to a problem in that labor is required.
In an automatic winder, when a yarn end is subjected to selvedge winding, the yarn end is wound close to the package. Therefore, (as shown, for example, in FIG. 18) this prevents the yarn end from being disengaged from the bobbin at the time of winding or at the time of termination of winding.